City Manager Message

I Am Grateful For All of You

As I prepare for the credits to roll on my time as the Washington City Manager, I needed to conclude with one housekeeping item and a final thought.  The smash Broadway musical “Hamilton” tells the story of the founding of our country.  There is a dramatic scene which portrays George Washington preparing his final letter as president to our young country, the title of the song is “One last time.”  In the spirit of our own community’s namesake and because I think that his words are fitting for all outgoing public administrators, I share this request of you and hope he won’t mind me using his words. “Though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors.  Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend.  I shall also carry with me the hope that my country [city] will never cease to view them with indulgence; and that, after [sixteen] years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion…” Thank you for that! Now, a final thought.  I will forever consider it good fortune that the winds of life pointed my ship towards this great community.  All of us who call this city home, have watched our small town become a large community.  We have welcomed new friends and neighbors and watched a level of success that is due to our own doing.  We have built a community to which others want to come, to find their own place in this beautiful spot in the desert, and to call it home.  I am grateful for that.  I am grateful that you did that for me when you accepted my family here and made us feel safe, welcomed, and cared for.  I could never adequately express my heartfelt love and appreciation to all of you for this and so much more, but I wanted to try...one last time.  I pray God’s choicest blessings upon this community.

-Roger Carter